Cancer incidence and deaths still higher in Appalachia despite progress
“Fewer people than before are being diagnosed with and dying from cancer in Appalachia, but cancer incidence and death rates remain substantially higher, especially in certain areas of Central Appalachia, compared to elsewhere in the U.S.”
Tim Davern: The Earth is a Liver
“I am fascinated by the Greek myth of Prometheus, the Titan who stole fire from the god Zeus and gave it to man in the form of enlightenment. For his crime, he was chained to a rock face atop a mountain and every day, Zeus’ eagle devoured his liver, but every night it grew back, ensuring eternal torment.”
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Northwestern Medicine and Peloton Team Up on Wellness Innovation, Starting With Heart Health
“CHICAGO — Northwestern Medicine announced a new initiative with Peloton, launching a 30-minute heart health walk featuring Peloton Instructor, Matt Wilpers, and Northwestern Medicine’s Clyde Yancy, MD, chief of cardiology. The class coincides with Heart Awareness Month, and is the latest addition to Peloton’s Health Centered class collection, which includes conversations with medical advisors on how to incorporate movement for lifestyle goals and chronic conditions.”
New tools may help mental health hospitals close life expectancy gap through exercise
“An innovative set of resources released this month will help mental health services implement potentially life-saving exercise programs for patients, addressing the alarming gap in life expectancy faced by people with severe mental illness.”
A study confirms the positive effects of exercise on insulin signaling proteins in the brain.
“A study led by researchers at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, published in the journal Aging Cell, reveals that specialized brain cells involved in the body’s insulin response are activated after exercise. This finding suggests that physical activity may have a direct, positive impact on brain function.”
The “Wild West” of Cancer Misinformation Online
“Between 2013 and 2017, Australian wellness influencer Belle Gibson achieved Instagram fame by claiming she had cured her terminal brain cancer naturally. Gibson amassed a vast and lucrative following, encouraging her supporters to avoid chemotherapy and other medical treatments. But her story began to unravel when she was exposed in March 2015, with journalists from The Australian and Fairfax Media revealing she’d fabricated her diagnosis.”
DOGE vs. the NIH: Say goodbye to the greatest engine of biomedical research ever created
“Friday, the Trump administration slashed indirect costs associated with NIH grants. What does this mean, and why could it be so disastrous for biomedical research?”
Landmark Study Aims to Enroll 100 000 Black Women to Investigate Their Cancer Risks and Outcomes
“The study, which the American Cancer Society (ACS) launched nationally last May, aims to explore environmental and behavioral factors that influence cancer risk and outcomes in a cohort of more than 100 000 Black women, making it the largest ever research initiative involving this population. In the coming years, the study will enroll tens of thousands of Black women between the ages of 25 and 55 years who do not have a history of cancer. The goal: to better understand the specific drivers of cancer in this group and to inform approaches to address cancer disparities. The study will take place across 20 states and the District of Columbia, where collectively more than 90% of Black women in the US live.”
Scientists at Penn’s Institute for RNA Innovation pursue vaccines to stop celiac disease
“Jax Bari, an 11-year-old from Philadelphia, shows me a photo of himself. It’s hard to look at; in it, he’s sprawled out on the bathroom floor, sad, exhausted. He says, just hours earlier, he had accidentally consumed gluten while out to eat with his family. What followed was hours of vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain.”
FDA Approves Novel Non-Opioid Treatment for Moderate to Severe Acute Pain
“Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Journavx (suzetrigine) 50 milligram oral tablets, a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic, to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Journavx reduces pain by targeting a pain-signaling pathway involving sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system, before pain signals reach the brain.”
